Air operated tool



INVENToR.

ATTORNEYS ROLAND E. DOEDEN owmmakwmug I2 Il Jan. 28, 1964 FIG I UnitedStates Patent Oilice 3,119,3@4 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 3,119,304 AIR@PERATED TUUL Roland E. Doeden, @hin E e. 13, Hicksville, hio Filed Apr.l2, 1961, Ser. No. 102,492 3 Claims. CCL 90-l1) This invention relatesgenerally, as indicated, to an air operated tool and more particularlyto a machine tool attachment or accessory whereby higher cutting speedsmay be obtained 4than through the normal use of the machine spindle.

In many milling machine operations, a higher tool speed than thatavailable `or offered by the miliing machine is desirable. For example,in the milling of narrow width slots, it is desirable to have anextremely high tool rpm. Presently available milling machines do notprovide a tool spindle speed of much greater than 10,080 rpm. if that,and for some operations it may be desirable to have a tool speed of from25,080 to 30,000y rpm.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to providea machine tool attachment making available higher tool speeds thanotherwise obtainable.

l-t is another important object to provide machine tool attachment whichcan be iirmly and securely clamped thereto with very litt-le spindlerun-out.

It is another object to provide Aan air operated machine t-o-olattachment providing extremely high tool speeds and utilizing the airexhaust `for chip removal and work cooling.

It is a stili further object to provide a machine tool attachmentespecially adapted for use with milling machines which can be clamped-to the horizontal or vertically extending spindle sleeves or quills ofsuch machine and which can be used with right angle drives for thedesired ilexibility of application.

It is yet another obiect to provide a machine tool attachment having aytool spindle driven by a high speed air motor, the housing of lwhich isintegrally formed with a clamp for securing such motor and spindle to amachine tool or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds.

To the `accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, comprises the vfeatures hereinafter fully described .andparticularly pointed out 4in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawing setting forth in detail a certain illustrativeembodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but oneof the various ways in which the principle of Ithe invention may beemployed.

In said annexed drawing:

FG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the air operated 4tool inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section .taken substantially on .the line 2-2 of FIG. l; and

FlG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of FIG.l.

The :air operated tool shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with the presentinvention is mounted on the quill or spindle sleeve of a verticalmilling machine. This spindle sleeve shown at 1 `fits within acylindrical cavity Z formed in an enlargement 3 of the air operated toolhousing 4. The bore 5 or the cavity 2 will be machined substantially tofit the specified diameter of the particular make of milling machine towhich the tool is to be applied. Adjacent the bottom of the cavity 2.there is provided a transversely extending air inlet 6 to which aconvenient source of air under pressure may be coupled. This transverseinlet communicates through passages 7 and 8 with the end plate -9 of anair motor shown generally at 1d within the reduced diameter portion ofthe housing 4. Such air motor is provided with a rotor 11 mounted inprecision bearings 12 and 13. The bearings 12 are mounted in the endplate 9 `and the bearings '13 are mounted in the end plate 14 and theshaft 11 is held from the end plate 1liby an annular spacer 15. Acylinder 16 helld .to the end plates by pins 17 and 1S encloses blades19 and 2o which drive lthe rotor 11. The end of the reduced diameterportion of the housing 4 is internally threaded as shown at 21 and alock ring 22. is threaded therein. Such lock ring is externally threadedto receive a guard or cap 23 having an opening 24 therein to accommodatethe chuck 25 extending therethrough. Such chuck is threadedly secured tothe rotor 11 as shown at 26. The shank 27 of a tool T may be securedwithin the chuck 25 by means of -a collet Z8 and hood or cap 29 threadedon the chuck 25 as shown at 30.

It can now be seen that air entering through inlet 6 Will pass throughpassageways 7 and `8 into the interior yof the stator or cylinder le andthrough suitable exhaust passages into the hollowed out portion 31 ofthe housing and then longitudinally through the end plate 14 .into aporous sintered bronze ring 32 which acts as a muflier to silence thehigh pitched whistling or whine which would otherwise occur. From themuiiler the air escapes between the chuck 25 anda lock ring 22 to passoutwardly through the opening 24 in the guard 23. lIn this manner, theexhaust `air will be directed downwardly .along the shank 27 ot the toolT not only to remove chips from the work W, but also to provide apronounced cooling eliect upon the work.

The details of the particular air motor 1li are generally conventionaland a reference may be had to my Patent Nos. 2,830,569 and 2,946,315 for.a more clear disclosure of an air motor that may be employed with thepresent invention.

The enlarged portion 3 of the tool housing is provided lwith `alongitudinally extending slot liti and abutting iian ges l1 and d2.`Extending thro-ugh 4such flanges are three socket head cap screws 43,44 and 45. Such may be threaded to the flange 41, for example, whilepassing freely through the ange 42 so that they will exert a clampingforce on the spindle sleeve 1 when tightened by causing the enlargedportion 3 of the housing to contract. Since the bore 5 may not be ofexactly the right dimension to tit a specied diameter of a spindlesleeve of a milling machine, there is provided two socket head setscrews #te und 47 extending through the ilange 42 to bear against theflange 41. In this manner, the cap screws 43, 44 and i5 may be loosenedand .the set screws 46 and 47 employed to enlarge the diameter of thebore 5 so that it will it upon the desired size of quill or sleevespindle y1. After the enlarged portion of .the housing 3 is in place,the set screws may be loosened and :the lsocket head cap screws employedto tighten and firmly clamp the air operated tool accessory in place. Itwill, of course, be understood that an angle drive attachment mayreadily be employed with the present invention, such angle drive`attachment being clearly shown in my aforementioned Patents 2,830,561()and 2,946,315. With such :angle drive attachment it will be possible tosecure the illustrated air Itool to a horizontal-ly extending quill orspindle sleeve to perform the same operation as that shown in FIG. l.

With the machine shown, it is possible to obtain very high precisionwith very smal-l spindle run-out. Very powerful four blade rotary vanetype air motors may be employed .to obtain speeds of between 25,000 and30,000 rpm. It will, of course, be possible to employ such accessorywith a geared moto-r or reducer `for drilling and slow speed milling.

By forming integrally the clamp with the motor housing and using theflexibility of the housing obtained f through the slot liti, it ispossible to ensure maximum rigidity and eliminate the play of thespindle if it were attached directly to the spindle of the millingmachine. It will again be understood that the bore 5 may be of anydesired diameter to tit particular models of milling machine required.

Whereas the accessory is shown applied to a milling machine, it will beunderstood ythat the tool is also useful with either carbide burrs ormounted grinding wheels to grind hardened parts, especially dies, jigsor fixtures.

It is noted that movement of 'the tool is obtained through the machinein the normal manner through movement of the spindle sleeve or quill y1.Also, the air inlet being on the enlarged portion of the housing makes-it readily accessible for connection of an air pressure line.

It can now be seen that .there is provided an air operated accessory fora machine tool whereby tool speeds can be obtained not otherwiseobtainable with the machine tool.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the details described, provided thefeatures stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of suchbe employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention:

1. An air operated ltool accessory for a machine tool and the likecomprising a housing having a reduced diameter portion containing arotor, a tool connected to said rotor, means to introduce `air into saidhousing to drive said rotor and thus said tool at high speed, saidhousing including an enlarged portion having a bottomed cavity therein,a longitudinally extending slot in said enlarged portion of saidhousing, said slot extending through the outer edge of the bottom wallof said cavity, said housing .terminating in abutting flanges adjacentsaid slot, and clamping screw means extending `through said flangesadapted to contract the walls of said housing and thus the diameter ofsaid cavity to clamp said housing on such machine tool.

2. An accessory for a machine tool and the like comprising a motorhousing, a rotor in said motor housing, a tool connected to said rotorand adapted to be driven thereby, means to admit air under pressure tosaid housing .to drive said rotor and thus said tool at high speed, saidhousing including an axially extending enlarged portion having anaxially extending cavity therein, said enlarged portion of said housingbeing provided with a longitudinally extending slot, the walls of saidhousing terminating in `abutting ilanges adjacent said slot, clampingscrew means extending through said flanges adapted to contract the wallsof said housing and thus the diameter of said cavity to clamp saidhousing on such machine tool, and set screws adapted to spread the wallsof said housing adjacent said slot to enlarge the diameter of saidcavity.

3. The accessory set forth in claim 2 including an air inlet adjacentthe bottom of said cavity in said enlarged portion of the housingcommunicating with said ail' motor in the reduced diameter portion ofsaid housing.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,221,472 Rasmusen et al. Apr. 3, `1917 1,244,090 Hirth Oct. 23, 19171,584,071 Arnold May l1, 1926 2,399,727 Eklund May 7, 1946 2,493,473Bouchard Jan. 3, 1950 2,648,939 Zelik et `al Aug. 18, 1953 2,726,871Schnellmann Dec. 13, 1955 2,753,617 Felenchak Jan. l0, 1956 2,780,966Frost et al Feb. 12, 1957 2,830,560 Doeden Apr. 15, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS824,362 Germany Dec. 10, 1951

1. AN AIR OPERATED TOOL ACCESSORY FOR A MACHINE TOOL AND THE LIKECOMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION CONTAINING AROTOR, A TOOL CONNECTED TO SAID ROTOR, MEANS TO INTRODUCE AIR INTO SAIDHOUSING TO DRIVE SAID ROTOR AND THUS SAID TOOL AT HIGH SPEED, SAIDHOUSING INCLUDING AN ENLARGED PORTION HAVING A BOTTOMED CAVITY THEREIN,A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOT IN SAID ENLARGED PORTION OF SAIDHOUSING, SAID SLOT EXTENDING THROUGH THE OUTER EDGE OF THE BOTTOM WALLOF SAID CAVITY, SAID HOUSING TERMINATING IN ABUTTING FLANGES ADJACENTSAID SLOT, AND CLAMPING SCREW MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FLANGES